High school, collegiate, and even professional athletes feel the pressure of constantly being in the spotlight. Professional linebacker Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs committed a murder suicide, Dec. 1, on the eve of their Sunday matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
According to the LA Times, Belcher was arguing with his 22 year-old girlfriend Kasandra Perkins where he then shot her, drove to the Chiefs facility, thanked the coaches, and then shot himself in font of them. This resulted in their three-month old daughter becoming orphaned.
This is a prime example on how professional athletes or idols are not perfect, and everyone is human. The same goes for high school and colligate athletes. They are expected to perform at a high level and succumb oftentimes to the same amount of pressure than professional athletes. High school athletes feel the pressure when college or pro scouts are breathing down their necks at every game. Their futures are on the line.
This pressure gets to many athletes where some resort to violence. There have been many instances where a player who lost a crucial game goes home or to a party and abuses substances. This in some cases leads to more extreme behaviors where the abuser and the people around are put into danger.
High school and collegiate athletes have a whole future ahead of them where one mistake made in the public eye can ruin everything. I don’t know how much pressure these athletes face, but I can only imagine how they feel and how they make their choices.
Former Louisiana State University corner back Tyrann Mathieu was easily one of the best corner backs in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), but he was caught with possession of marijuana according to ESPN reporter Gary Laney. Mathieu was kicked off the team and banned from Division I schools for one year.
People often forget that these athletes who they root for or against are not immune to feelings and that they’re humans just like you and me. They face problems and have a life outside of sports and are not perfect.